Programmable structures such as semiconductor-based memory elements are often used in electronic systems to store information. For example, typical DRAM, SRAM, FLASH and similar memory structures are often used to store information in electronic systems such as computers, personal digital assistants, and the like.
Semiconductor-based programmable memory devices generally require a crystalline substrate as a starting material. Consequently, when such memory devices are integrated with other microelectronic devices that also require a crystalline substrate, the two devices are often formed on separate substrates.
Forming memory devices and other devices on separate substrates may be undesirable for several reasons. For example, forming various types of memory on separate substrate may be relatively expensive, may require relatively long transmission paths to communicate between the memory devices and any associated electronic device, and may require a relatively large amount of room within a system. Accordingly, memory structures that do not require crystalline substrates are desirable.
Furthermore, as the semiconductor and microelectronics industries continue down the roadmap of ever decreasing the size of memory devices, several problems with existing memory technologies arise. For example, as the physical size of charge-storage devices such as FLASH and DRAM devices decreases, state detection and/or retention of the devices deteriorate. With other typical semiconductor memory devices, power consumption and cost of the devices generally increase as the size of the devices decreases. Accordingly, improved memory devices, which are scalable to relatively small sizes, which consume relatively little power, and which are relatively inexpensive to manufacture are desired.